Housy boys hoops hangs on to beat Lewis Mills

By Will BurchfieldFALLS VILLAGE — The Housatonic Valley Regional High School boys basketball team opened up a double-digit halftime lead and then hung on late to defeat Lewis Mills 56-53 at home on Wednesday, Feb. 16. The Mountaineers led by as much as 14 midway through the third quarter, but the Lewis Mills Spartans mounted a furious fourth-quarter rally that left the game in the balance until senior Reilley Lynch sunk two late free throws to seal the victory.While the game ended in dramatic fashion, it started with a much slower tempo. Both the Spartans and the Mountaineers were cold from the field early, their shooting struggles reflected by Lewis Mills’ scant 7-6 lead after the first quarter. But in the opening minutes of the second quarter, the Mountaineers found their stroke, putting together a 7-0 run that turned their one-point deficit into a 13-7 lead. The seven-point run was capped off with a 3-pointer from Corey Christensen, who was a force all game long for the Mountaineers. Christensen recorded a double-double on the night, scoring 23 points on 11 of 18 shooting and bringing down 10 rebounds.Spurred by their seven-point run, Housy shot with marked confidence for the rest of the half, pouring in 28 second-quarter points on the Spartans’ defense. Senior point guard Andrew Hoffman was instrumental in the offensive barrage, driving the lane with tenacity and finding open teammates when under pressure. Hoffman chipped in six points in the second quarter on a number of acrobatic finishes and tallied 10 on the night, along with four assists and five steals.At the defensive end of the floor, the Mountaineers played aggressive team defense, often forcing the Spartans to take low-percentage shots. Housy was efficient on the glass as well, surrendering very few offensive rebounds to keep Spartan possessions to a minimum. The Mountaineers controlled the flow of the game and built up a 34-22 halftime lead.The third quarter followed a similar script as the first with both teams struggling to make baskets. After hanging 25 points in the second quarter, the Mountaineers managed only 12 points in the third, while the offensively frustrated Spartans put up just 11. The Mountaineers were led in the third by the strong play of center Donyell Williams, who scored half of his team’s 12 points. Williams fell just one rebound shy of a double-double on the night, picking up nine boards to go along with his 10 points.Ahead by 13 at the start of the fourth quarter, 46-33, the Mountaineers may have greeted the final eight minutes a bit too nonchalantly. Lewis Mills, sensing an opportunity, opened the fourth quarter with a 6-0 run and cut their deficit to seven points. For the next five minutes, the teams traded baskets, and the Spartans began to score with relative ease. Down 52-45 with under three minutes to play, the visitors put together another 6-0 run and were suddenly down by one with 38 seconds left. After two Hoffman free throws, the Spartans scored again and then quickly fouled Hoffman on the inbound pass. Shooting one-and-one from the line, Hoffman missed the first free throw, and the Spartans grabbed the rebound and took the ball up court with 25 seconds remaining. Fortunately for the Mountaineers, Lewis Mills was unable to finish two opportunities in the paint before Lynch tracked down the game’s final, and most important, rebound.The gym seemed to breath a collective sigh of relief as Lynch converted both of his free throws to clinch the Mountaineers’ 10th win.“It wasn’t pretty,” head coach David Battistoni said after the game. “We let them back in the game late, but fortunately we made some key free throws and managed to hang on.”Of the Mountaineers’ 19 regular season games so far, including their win over Terryville Monday, Feb. 21, 10 have finished with a six-point differential or less. Housy won half of those 10 games, four of them at home.“That’s us,” Battistoni said. “We play close games.”Housy’s record stands at 11-8 overall and 7-1 at home. Battistoni was quick to acknowledge the efforts of the growing fan base. “Fans have really started to show up this year, and it’s really exciting to have,” he said. “It’s something we haven’t had for three years, and I know it inspires the guys, so it’s been fun.”